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July 02, 2009

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The Washington Post's Ezra Klein, who writes on health care policy, was asked in an online chat about a flier which indicated that health care reporters, top Post editors and administration officials could be made available at a private dinner — with a $25,000 price tag.

Did you know about, or participate in, this? And do you feel that's an appropriate action for a newspaper?

No. No. And no. I was genuinely appalled when I read that this morning. From every angle, it's dirty: It compromises us with the government officials we should be covering but who are doing us a financial favor by participating. It compromises us with the lobbyists we should be covering but who are now funding our business in return for access to the newsroom and the administration. There's literally no way to look at it that doesn't leave us in a terribly unethical position.

And I don't imagine there is anyone in the newsroom who disagrees with that. Reporters are pretty religious about this stuff. The story seems to be that someone on the business side got ahead of themselves and the idea was shot down by Marcus this morning. I'm glad of that.

The Post's Paul Kane, also in an online chat, said that "the general reaction among folks in the newsroom was astonishment this morning."